Circuit breaker



Oct. 4, 1938. w. H. FRANK Y A2,131,800

CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Jan. 11, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l i 62 74 6g? I 63 r7,2 75 I 'I n --gm-f 1 6+ 65 itiy 69 6.6 I m; 7h 70 I BY I l ATTORNEY.

oct. 4, 1938. w. H. FRANK Y 2,131,800

CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Jan. l1, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY o

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 4, `1 938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This application relates to circuit breakers.

'I'he breaker herein disclosed and forming the invention hereof may best be understood upon reference to the drawings.

In these drawings:

Figs. 1-'1 show a breaker wherein the spring means comprises a link mounted tension spring and is connected to the handle in such a way that the handle connection end of the spring means moves in a path transverse to the path traversed by the latch connection end of the spring means; and moves with no extraordinary radial movement away from the handle center of rotation;

Fig. 1 is a top plan view.

Fig. 2 is a plan section as if on line 2 2, Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is an elevation section with the breaker in on position.

Fig. 4 is another view but with the breaker tripped.

Figs. 5', 6 and 7 are sections on lines 5 5, 6 6, and 1 1 of Figs. 2, 3,' and 4 with the breaker in on, oi and tripped positions respectively.

The drawings show a breaker wherein the connection between the breaker handle and the breaker spring means is so designed that the movement of the handle connection end of the spring means is in a path generally transverse to that traversed by thev latch connection end. of the springimeans; the spring means includes a link mounted tension spring and its handle connection end moves with no extraordinary radiall movement away from the handle pivot.

A breaker handle is shown as disposed on the breaker cover and is keyed to a-shaft 6I which Vpasses through the cover and is keyed to a crank plate 62 from which projects a crank pin 63 connected at 64 to one end of the breaker spring means which includes the link surrounded by the coiled tension spring 66. The other end of the spring means is connected to a cross piece 61 arranged to have its ends ride in slots 68 of the breaker casing and arranged to be engaged and held down by the tips of the breaker overload release latch 69 which is connected by a iiexible connection 10 to a movable contact 1I secured to an insulation block 12 which loosely surrounds the link 65 and spring 66, contact 12 mating with stationary contact 12a of the breaker.

In the cover is disposed an indicator button 13 normally held down by a spring 14 and adapted to be pushed up by engagement of the shank 15 of the button '13 by the cross piece 61 of the breaker on suitable occasions.

(Cl. 20G-116) Carried by the side of the breaker casing is a resetting member or block 16 of insulation having a cam face 11 which may be engaged by a cooperating cam face 18 of the block 12 for purposes to be described. 5

Figs. 2,3,and 5 show the breaker in on position with the spring stretched and with its cross piece end held by the latch 69 and with the parts held stationary by the influence of the spring and the engagement of the contacts 1I 12a.

When the handle is moved from normal onpo sition to ofi position, it rotates plate 62 clockwise (Fig. 2) from the position of Fig. 5 to the position of Fig. 6, rst stretching the spring 66 and then permitting the stretched spring to relieve itself suddenly of part of its stretch for snap action, the spring 66 and the link 65 moving bodily about the latch held cross piece 61 as a pivot and across the axis of the center of rotation of the handle 66, namely shaft 6I, tc open the circuit, contact block 12 under such circumstances moving from the back towards the front of the breaker so that contact 1| leaves contact 12a as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The spring 66 still under stretch holds the parts stationary in off position. 25

If the parts are in on position, Figs. 2, 3, and 5, and an overload arises to cause overload release of the latch 69, the latter warps to the right and the stretched spring 66 relieves itself of its spring stress suddenly, causing spring means GS 66 to rotate upwardly about the lowerend of pin 63 as a pivot, with the cross piece 61 riding upwardly in the slot 68 (Fig. 4, Fig. '1) to lift block 12 and contact 1| off contact 12a and open the circuit. During such movement handle 60 will remain stationary; and cross piece 61 will force button 13 to move upwardly and indicate that overload release has occurred. The parts-will come to rest with contact block 12 at the upper and left part of cam face 11 of resetting block 16 as shown in Fig. '1.

For resetting, handle 60 is rotated from the tripped or on position (Figs. 4 and 7) to the off position (Fig. 6). Such movement of the handle will cause contact block 12 to move to the right (Fig. '1) and this will result in causing the Contact block to move downwardly as well as to the position of Fig. 6, and will also cause the latch connection end of the spring means 65-66, namely cross piece 61, to move downwardly and return under the tips of the latch 69 which had in the meantime cooled and returned to normal on position. Such resetting of the parts will return them to oi position (Fig. 6) and will relieve button '13 so that its spring 'M can return it to the untripped position (Fig. 3).

It will be observed that the handle connection end 64 of the spring means l-G moves in a horizontal path and that the latch connection end of the spring means 65-66 at cross piece till moves in a vertical path, on the device as shown in the drawings.

Now having described the devices herein shown, reference will be had to the claims which follow for a determination oi the protection sought herein.

I claim:

l. In a circuit breaker controlling mechanism, an elongated spring means in the form or a .coiled spring, a current responsive latch for holding the spring means under longitudinal stress in normal position, a rotatably mounted handle operatively connected to the spring means and manipulable by rotary movement out of its normal position to stress the spring means longitudinally and move it bodily out of its normal position and towards the center of rotation of the handle so that when the handle is released after such movement the spring means will tend to relieve itself of its longitudinal stress with a snap action, the relative arrangement of the parts being such that on such stress relieving movement or the spring means following such handle movement and subsequent release, the spring means will move bodily beyond the center of rotation of the handle and about the connection between the spring means and latch as a pivot, and also being such that on release of the latch, when the handle and spring means are in normal position, the spring means will tend to relieve itself of its stress with a snap action and in so doing will move bodily about its connection to the handle as a pivot, the handle and the spring means and the latch being so arranged relatively that the handle connection end of the spring means moves in a path generally transverse to that traversed by the latch con nection end of the spring means.

2. In a circuit breaker controlling mechanism, an elongated spring means in the form of a coiled tension spring, a current responsive latch for holding the spring means under longitudinal stress in normal position, a rotatably mounted handle operatively connected to the spring means and manipulable by rotary movement out of its normal position to stress the spring means longitudinally and move it bodily out or its normal position and towards the center of rotation of the handle so that when the handle is released after such movement the spring means will tend to relieve itself of its longitudinal stress with a snap action, the relative arrangement of the parts being such that on such stress relieving movement of the spring means following such handle movement and subsequent release, the spring means will move bodily beyond the center of rotation of the handle and about the c'onnection between the spring means and latch as a pivot, andalso being such that on release of the latch, when the handle and spring means are in normal position, the spring means will tend to relieve itself of its stress with a snap action and in so doing will move bodily about its connection to the handle as a pivot, the handle and the spring means and the latch being so arranged relatively that the handle connection end of the spring means'moves in a path generally transverse to that traversed by the latch connection end of the spring means.

3. In a circuit breaker controlling mechanism,

armeno an elongated spring means in the form of a coiled link mounted spring, a current responsive latch for holding the spring means under longitudinal stress in normal position, a rotatably mounted handle operatively connected to the spring means and manipulable by rotary movement out of its normal position to stress the spring means longitudinally and move it bodily out of its normal position and towards the center of rotation of the handle so that when the handle is released after such movement the spring means will tend to relieve itself of its longitudinal stress with a snap action, the relative arrangement of the parts being such that on such stress relieving movement of the spring means following such handle movement and subsequent release, the spring means will move bodily beyond the center of rotation of the handle and about the connection between the spring means and latch as a pivot, and also being such that on release or the latch, when the handle and spring means are in normal position, the spring means will tend to relieve itself of its stress with a snap action and in so doing will move bodily about its connection to the handle as a pivot, the

handle and the spring means and the latch being so arranged relatively that the handle connection end of the spring means moves in a path generally transverse to that traversed by the latch connection end of the spring means.

fl. In a circuit breaker controlling mechanism, an elongated spring means in the form of a coiled link mounted tension spring, a current responsive latch for holding the spring means under longitudinal stress in normal position, a rotatably mounted handle operatively connected to the spring means and manipulable by rotary movement out of its normal position to stress the spring means longitudinally and move it bodily out of its normal position and towards the center of rotation of the handle so that when the handle is released after such movement the spring means will tend to relieve'itself of its longitudinal stress wih a snap action, the relative arrangement of the parts being such that on such stress relieving movement of the spring means following such handle movement and subsequent release, the spring means will move bodily beyond the center of rotation of the handle and about the connection between the spring means and latch as a pivot, and also being such that on release of the latch, when the handle and spring means are in normal position, the spring means will tend to relieve itself of its stress with a snap action and in so doing will move bodily about its connection to the handle as a pivot, the handle and the spring means and the latch being so arranged relatively that the handle connection end of the spring means moves in a path generally transverse to that traversed by the latch connection end of the spring means.

5. In a circuit breaker controlling mechanism,

an elongated spring means in the form of a coiled' denly relieve itself of the stresses therein previously produced and will move itself bodily beyond the center-of rotation of the handle and about the connection between the spring means and the latch as a pivot, the relative arrangement of the parts being such that when the latch is released at a time when the handle and spring means are in normal position the spring means will suddenly relieve itself of the stresses therein existing and will move itself bodily about the handle connection thereto as a pivot, the handle and the spring means and the latch being so arranged relatively that the handle connection end of the spring means moves in a path generally transverse to that traversed by the latch connection end of the spring means.

6. In a circuit breaker controlling mechanism, an elongated spring means in the form of a coiled tension spring, having a tendency to resist lengthwise stressing, a current responsive latch for holding the spring means in normal position and stressed under lengthwise stress, a rotatably mounted .handle operatively connected to the spring means and manipulable by rotary movement out of its normal position to produce lengthwise stress in the spring means and to move it bodily out of its normal position and towards the center of rotation of the handle, the parts being so arranged relatively that when the handle is released after such movement the spring means will suddenly relieve itself of the stresses therein previously produced and will move itself bodily beyond the center of rotation of the handle and about the connection between the spring means and the latch as a pivot, the relative arrangement of the parts being such that when the latch is released at a time when the handle and spring means are in normal position the spring means will suddenly relieve itself of the stresses therein existing and will move itself bodily about the handle connection thereto as a pivot, the handle and the spring means and the latch being so arranged relatively that the handle connection end of the spring means moves in a path generally transverse to that traversed by the latch connection end of the spring means.

7. In a circuit breaker controlling mechanism, an elongated spring means in the form of a coiled link mounted spring, having a tendency to resist lengthwise stressing, a current responsive latch for holding the spring means in normal position and stressed under lengthwise stress, a rotatably mounted handle operatively connected to the spring means and manipulable by rotary movement out of its normal position to produce lengthwise stress in the spring means and to move it bodily out of its normal position and towards the center of rotation of the handle, the parts being so arranged relatively that when the handle is released after such movement the spring means will suddenly relieve itself of the stresses therein previously produced and will move itself bodily beyond the center of rotation of the handle and about the connection between the spring means and the latch as a pivot, the relative arrangement of the parts being such that when the latch is released at a time when the handle and spring means are in normal position the spring means will suddenly relieve itself of the stresses therein existing and will move itself bodily about the handle connection thereto as a pivot, the handle and the spring means and the latch being so arranged relatively that the handle connection end of the spring means moves in a path generally transverse to that traversed by the latch connection end of the spring means.

8. In a circuit breaker controlling mechanism, an elongated spring means in the form of a coiled link mounted tension spring, having a tendency to resist lengthwise stressing, a current responsive latch for holding the spring means in normal position and stressed under lengthwise stress, a rotatably mounted handle operatively connected to the spring means and manipulable by rotary movement out of its normal position to produce lengthwise stress in the spring means and to move it bodily out of its normal position and towards the center of rotation of the handle, the parts being so arranged relatively that when the handle is released after such movement the spring means will suddenly relieve itself of the stresses therein previously produced and will move itself bodily beyond the center of rotation of the handle and about the connection between the spring means and the latch as a pivot, the relative arrangement of the parts being such that when the latch is released at a time when the handle and spring means are in normal position the spring means will suddenly relieve itself of the stresses therein existing and will move itself bodily about the handle connection thereto as a pivot, the handle and the spring means and the latch being so arranged relatively that the handle connection end of the spring means moves in a path generally transverse to that traversed by the latch connection end of the spring means.

9. In a circuit breaker controlling mechanism, an elongated spring means, a current responsive latch for holding the spring means under longitudinal stress in normal position, a rotatably mounted handle operatively connected to the spring means and manipulable by rotary movement out of its normal position to stress the spring means longitudinally and move it bodily out of its normal position and towards the center of rotation of the handle so that when the handle is released after such movement the spring means will tend to relieve itself of its longitudinal stress with a snap action, the relative arrangement of the parts being such that on such stress relieving movement of the spring means following such handle movement and subsequent release, the spring means will move bodily beyond the center of rotation of the handle and about the connection between the spring means and latch as a pivot, and also being such that on release of the latch, when the handle and spring means are in normal position, the spring means will tend to relieve itself of its stress With a snap action and in so doing will move bodily about its -connection to the handle as a pivot, the handle and the spring means and the latch being so arranged relatively that the handle connection end of the spring means moves in a path generally transverse to that traversed by the latch connection end of the spring means.

l0. In a circuit breaker controlling mechanism, an elongated spring means having a tendency to resist lengthwise stressing, a current responsive latch for holding the spring means in normal position and stressed under lengthwise stress, a rotatably mounted handle operatively connected to the spring means and manipulable by rotary movement out of its normal position to produce lengthwise stress in the spring means and to move it bodily out of its normal position and'towards the center of rotation of the handle, the parts being so arranged relatively that when the handle is released after such movement the spring means 

